Best foot forward

First impressions are everything.

​The statement above could not be more true when it comes to selling your car, boat, truck, SUV or any other vehicle. Often times, when selling or trading in a vehicle, the buyer’s first impression is what dictates the conversation. Your goals when selling or trading in are usually simple, get the most money for it with the least amount of hassle. Everyone knows this but when you look through the various groups on Facebook where people list vehicles for sale or on Craigslist, it’s clear that few put any effort into how their vehicle appears from a buyer’s perspective. These are the ads that stay posted for what seems like forever when other comparable vehicles are selling quickly and sometimes nearly instantaneously.

With cars, trucks and SUV’s, presenting your vehicle in the best way possible is pretty simple. Assuming it is mechanically sound, clean it! Clean the interior, get rid of the debris and run a vacuum over everything a few times to get rid of the dirt and ever present prizes like petrified French fries or that piece of bagel you dropped on the way to work in 2016. Wipe down all the hard surfaces and clean the glass, find and eliminate the source of any bad odors. On the outside, wash it, do a quick decontamination of the paint with a clay bar and if there was ever a good time to put a couple coats of wax on the paint, NOW is the time!

Boats, as always, are a bit of work. Just like a car, clean and wash it and get rid of debris like empty water bottles, that hook that’s been rusting in the drawer of your tackle center since the last time you went fishing and anything else that a buyer doesn’t want or need in their new boat. The next step takes your cleaning to the next level. Clean ALL of the now empty compartments by wiping them down and removing mildew and/or rust stains with the appropriate chemicals. This is a huge task in many boats but one that is going to get you more positive responses from potential buyers. Next, shift to the outside of the boat, scrub the nonskid, polish the smooth surfaces and, again, a couple coats of wax go a long way.
Now that your car/truck/boat, etc is looking good, take some great photos and get them posted with your descriptive ad. If you’re priced correctly, you won’t have any trouble selling it. If you’re trading in, a vehicle that shows it has been cared for may or may not increase the dealer’s offer but it WILL cut down in the hassle you may deal with when negotiating the trade in value. They can’t sit there and tell you how much of a mess it is if it isn’t.
Look for a video or three from me in the not too distant future on this topic. I hope to show how these steps are completed and what goes into preparing a vehicle for sale.
​Not feeling very “DIY-ish?” We offer “pre-sale” detailing packages for $200-$400 that represent an excellent value and will help to sell your vehicle faster for more money. These packages typically include a deep interior cleaning, vehicle wash, prep and wax or sealant to give your vehicle just the “pop” it needs to sell fast. Frequently, the amount you spend on this kind of detail will more than pay for itself in a higher selling price and/or time saved.